the BRIEF this week
Federal judge says results of N.C. Supreme Court race must be certified
Raleigh
A federal judge has ruled that disputed ballots in the still unresolved 2024 race for a Supreme Court seat must remain in the final count. U.S. District Judge Richard Myers also ordered late Monday that the State Board of Elections certify results that show Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs the winner — by 734 votes — over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin. Myers delayed his decision in case Griffin wants to appeal. Myers agreed with Riggs that carrying out recent decisions by state appeals courts that directed potentially thousands of ballots be removed from the tally would violate the U.S. Constitution.
Supreme Court allows ban on transgender military members
Washington, D.C.
The Supreme Court is allowing President Donald Trump’s administration to enforce a ban on transgender people in the military while legal challenges proceed. The high court acted Tuesday in the dispute over a policy that presumptively disqualifies transgender people from military service. The court’s three liberal justices said they would have kept the policy on hold.
$2.00
Thousands come out for Spring Chicken Festival
Beach music legends The Embers took the main stage
By Dan Reeves Chatham News & Record
SILER CITY — Thousands gathered in Siler City Saturday to celebrate all things chicken at the Spring Chicken Festival, an all-day, family-friendly affair that saw streets lined with booths showcasing handmade arts and crafts from local artisans.
fun and the community,” said Liz Mauney, Mountaire Cares Manager, the festival’s main sponsor.
Mountaire Farms hosted its annual “Chickin’ Pickin’” event, a three-minute challenge where contestants tear as much meat as possible from a cooked Mountaire roaster. The contestant with the most meat by weight wins the round. For the first round, elected officials participated, racing to pick apart a roaster to win $500 for their chosen non-profit.
Musical guests included The Embers featuring Craig Woolard, members of the South Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame. “We’re all about the
The aroma of funnel cakes and other treats filled the air, creating a lively, carnival-like atmosphere. On East Second Street, the sounds of laughter and excitement could be heard as children and families enjoyed rides such as the Ferris wheel, the thrilling camel slide and the spinning Jitterbug swing.
‘Ethics Bowl’ offers students gentler alternative to debating
With no assigned positions, teams explore, not argue
By Travis Loller The Associated Press
CHAPEL HILL — At the National Speech and Debate Tournament, two high school stu-
dents take the stage. The first articulates the position he has been assigned to defend — people should have a right to secede from their government — and why it is correct. Another student, assigned the opposite position, begins to systematically tear down her opponent’s views.
A year later and 800 miles away, two teams of high school
students convene at the University of North Carolina for the National High School Ethics Bowl finals. A moderator asks about the boundaries of discourse — when a public figure dies, how do you weigh the value and harm of critical commentary about their life? Teams have not been assigned positions. One presents
Mom reunites with 911 operator who helped deliver baby
“It’s just a part of my job, I love being able to help other people, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Lorrie Teague, Chatham County
Sarah Gianni unexpectedly went into labor
By Dan Reeves Chatham News & Record
PITTSBORO — Reporters surrounded 911 telecommunicator Lorie Teague as she cradled Daisy Gianni, a bubbling, healthy 8-pound, 1-ounce baby girl who had popped into the world just two weeks prior, thanks to a bit of help from someone on the other end of the phone. Teague was preparing to eat breakfast when an urgent early morning call came in to the Chatham County Emergency Operations Center. 911 operators never know what might be
on the other end of the phone, but this wasn’t an incoming report of a car crash or a house fire. Instead, she professionally answered the trembling voice of Corinne Townsend, who said that her 36-year-old and very pregnant daughter, Sarah Gianni, had unexpectedly gone into labor.
“I started having contractions just after six that morning and was preparing to head to the hospital,” Gianni said. “I had just put the kids in the car when my water broke. My husband was already at work, but thankfully, my mom was there and called 911.”
Teague began talking both mothers through each step of the delivery and, crucially,
See BABY, page A3
Siler City Mayor Donald Matthews, Chamber of Commerce
See FESTIVAL, page A2
their ideas. The opposing team asks questions that help everyone to think about the issue more deeply. No one attacks.
Many a young debater may learn the rhetorical skills to become a successful lawyer or politician, subduing an opponent through wit and wordplay. But are they learning skills that will make them better citizens of an increasingly complex and contentious republic?
In an age when many Americans are wondering whether it is still possible to have a principled, respectful disagreement
See DEBATE, page A10
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Thousands filled the streets of Siler City for the Spring Chicken Festival, including for the “Chickin’ Pickin’ competition, above.
Executive Director Josh Harris and Chatham County Manager Brian Thomson served as judges. For the second year in a row, Commissioner Franklin Gomez Flores won and donated his winnings to the Siler City Futbol Club. Other elected officials who participated included Alec Houser, town
manager Jack Meadows and Travis Patterson.
“What was really cool was seeing repeat contestants for the audience rounds,” Mauney said. The audience participated to win cash and prizes, but the most bragging rights come with the coveted Spring Chicken Festival champion belt, which went to repeat contestant and winner Kyle Hines.
“Everyone was shagging and having a good time at this year’s event,” Mauney said. “Our Mountaire booth was right up front, near the stage for the chicken picking, so we had a great view. And of course, the chicken mascot made an appearance and even danced with The Embers, which was a lot of fun.”
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Chatham County:
May 9
Line Dancing Classes at Chatham Mills
11 a.m. to noon
Build your skills on the dance floor with line dancing classes at Chatham Mills hosted by Forest Hall at Chatham Mills and the Chatham Social Club. The cost is $25 per class; all skill levels are welcome.
480 Hillsboro St. Suite 350 Pittsboro
May 10
Chatham Mills Farmers Market
8 a.m. to noon
Growers only farmers’ market. Join us each Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.
480 Hillsborough St. Pittsboro
Pollinator Garden Tour
2-3:30 p.m.
CRIME LOG
April 29
• Demaury Jamil Headen, 22, of Siler City, was arrested for assault by strangulation and domestic violence.
• Timothy Allen Scott, 53, of Bear Creek, was arrested for possession of a firearm by a felon.
April 30
Vincente Cantreras Rangel, 45, of Siler City, was arrested for indecent liberties with a child and sexual battery.
May 1
• Annie Denise Shelton, 45, of Siler City, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possessing or distributing a controlled substance within 1000 feet of a school, and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.
May 2
• Taylor J. Davies, 27, of Hillsborough, was arrested for possessing a stolen firearm and carrying a concealed gun.
May 3
• Novella Alice Jennings, 27, of Carrboro, was arrested for larceny and second-degree trespass.
• Arlinda Shaw, 53, of Greensboro, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny and shoplifting.
May 4
• Jordan Derric Yoder, 30, of Sanford, was arrested for malicious conduct by a prisoner and simple assault.
May 5
• Michael E. Lamb, 43, of Pittsboro, was arrested for domestic violence and assault and battery.
• Larry Wilson Harris Jr., of Siler City, was arrested for communicating threats, assault on a female, and domestic violence.
• Zachary M. Falzone, 25, of Raleigh, was arrested for possession of a stolen firearm and going armed to the terror of people.
• 9652 S Nc-87 Highway (Pittsboro), 5 acres, 3 bed/1 bath, $325,000
• 471 Deer Run (Pittsboro), 4.92 acres, 3 bed/2 bath, $375,000
• 204 Sugarland Drive (Apex), 0.18 acres, 3 bed/2 bath, $400,000
• 298 E. Salisbury Street (Pittsboro), 0.40 acres, 3bed/2 bath, $600,000
• 9550 Silk Hope Liberty Road (Siler City), 73.740 acres, 3 bed/3bath, $1,450,000
• 557 Olives Chapel Road (Apex), 12.802 acres, 3 bed/3 bath, $2,500,000
RESIDENTIAL
• 1115 Manco Dairy Road (Pittsboro), 14 acres, 3 bed/1 bath, $500,000
• 389 Dewitt Smith Road (Pittsboro), 9.109 acres, 3 bed/2 bath, $500,000
LAND
• 37 E Cotton Road (Pittsboro), 0.996 acres, $100,000
• 170 Cherokee Drive (Chapel Hill), 1.150 acres, $100,000
• 188 Cherokee Drive (Chapel Hill), 1.150 acres, $100,000
• 327 Poplar Trail (Siler City), 5.022 acres, $150,000
• 9311 NC Highway 87 (Pittsboro), 4.602 acres, $225,000
• Tract 1 Robedo Road (Mount Gilead), 15.123 acres, $227,000
• 9231 NC Highway 87 (Pittsboro), 5.630 acres, $250,000
• 1834 Dewitt Smith Road (Pittsboro), 30.49 acres, 3 bed/2.5 bath, $850,000 LAND
• 1701 Mitchells Chapel Road (Pittsboro), 10 acres, $200,000
• Tract 3 Robedo Road (Mount Gilead), 17.029 acres, $256,000
• Tract 2 Robedo Road (Mount Gilead), 17.425 acres, $262,000
• 323 Wagon Trace (Pittsboro), 10.255 acres, $295,000
• 639 Hills of the Haw Road (Pittsboro), 5.2470 acres, $450,000
• 0 Chatham Church Road (Moncure), 15.94 acres, $750,000
• 1604 Bonlee School Road, Bear Creek, 110.496 acres, $750,000
• 00 US Highway 64 W (Siler City), 7.87 acres, $800,000
• 00 Hamlets Chapel Road (Pittsboro), 118.742 acres, $4,250,000 COMMERCIAL UNIMPROVED
• 13604 US Hwy 64 W (Siler City), 4.36 acres, $650,000
• 0 JB Morgan Road (Apex), 21 acres, $825,000
• 0 Pasture Branch Road (Rose Hill), 29 acres, $1,250,000
• 0 Crawford Dairy Road (Pittsboro), 52.81 acres, $1,750,000
• 8636/8710 Johnson Mill Road (Bahama),182.888 acres, $2,800,000
• 0 US 64 W (Siler City), 9.670 acres, $4,500,000
• 0 Olives Chapel Road (Apex), 75.4330 acres, $15,300,000 COMMERCIAL IMPROVED
• 140 & 148 East Street (Pittsboro), 1.49 acres, $1,350,000
• 10681 US Hwy 64 E (Apex), 3.97 acres, $1,000,000
• 1700 Hillsboro Street (Pittsboro), 29.79 acres, $4,500,000
Agriculture Agent Debbie Roos will give a tour of Chatham County Cooperative Extension’s Pollinator Paradise Demonstration Garden. The garden features over 225 species of perennials, trees, shrubs, vines and grasses, and 85% of them are native to North Carolina. Admission is free!
Paradise Garden
480 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro
May 10-11
Mother’s Day Weekend Market
Noon to 4 p.m.
Join Reclamation for a Mother’s Day Weekend Market. Discover a selection of talented artisans and crafters, offering unique gifts perfect for celebrating the moms in your life. Enjoy a vibrant atmosphere filled with fresh finds, handmade treasures and delightful surprises.
Reclamation 136 Fayetteville St. Pittsboro
May 14
Jazz Night at The Sycamore at Chatham Mills
6-9 p.m.
THIS WEEK’S VIDEO
Every Wednesday night from 6-9 p.m., The Sycamore at Chatham Mills hosts live Jazz Nights. The series features a rotating list of local musicians. The Sycamore also offers its Lounge Menu in the dining room on Wednesday nights. Reservations are highly recommended.
480 Hillsboro St. Suite 500 Pittsboro
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Kyle Hines displays the prized champion belt he won for the “Chickin’ Pickin’” contest.
My obituary guardrails. What?!
My obituary teachers show me that our presence in the world, no matter the scale, spreads light.
NO, NO, PLEASE don’t stop reading because I used the word “obituary!” I’m writing about my obituary teachers who’ve shed light beyond common measure in my life.
Not kidding. Really. Uh oh, you want an explanation? Okey- doke.
I’m a fallible human; no surprises there. I try to adhere to strong values. Nonetheless, I often fall off my values buggy. (Oh, come on. Admit it, you do, too.) My smoldering emotional wiring is, suddenly, on display for all to see, sometimes sparking pain in others (and to be honest, in me, too). Soooo embarrassing … I need help. Guardrails to help me hold fast to my values and behavior (well, for the most part).
Guardrails? Obituaries.
But … but … obits?? Kind of morbid, don’t you think? No, not really. Talk about a particular roadmap that increasingly gave me permission to be, of all people, myself. I love obituaries for folks who’ve been in intentional relationship with the world on small, caring, and often minuscule scales.
Excuse me??
A sample of my favorite obituary teachers. Feast your eyes.
“Barbara Denver made the world’s best fudge. Yes, she accomplished many other things, but the quality of her fudge cannot be overstated.”
“Susan is remembered for her generous hospitality, quick wit, and ability to order fondue in English,
Sheer lunacy
Federal law holds that civil servants are not supposed to be fired for political reasons.
WHAT DO YOU DO when you’ve screwed up so badly that any competent president would be demanding your resignation?
Easy. Attack women. That’s the solution Pete Hegseth, reeling from an unauthorized disclosure of war plans to his wife (and his brother and his lawyer), adopted this week. On Tuesday, in what his leaking-like-a-sieve aides reportedly described to NBC News as an effort to distract attention from his own wrongdoing, Hegseth took to social media to announce that he was terminating the bipartisan Women, Peace and Security (WPS) program championed by the first Trump administration and his fellow Cabinet members Kristi Noem and Marco Rubio.
“WPS is yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING,” Hegseth — who has previously opposed women holding combat roles — wrote on X, adding that the program was “pushed by feminists and left-wing activists.”
Wrong.
The bill was written by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem when she was in the House, and co-sponsored by Secretary of State Marco Rubio when he was in the Senate. It was signed into law by then-President Donald Trump in 2017, who directed the Departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security to implement it.
Hegseth doesn’t have the authority to repeal it, as he acknowledged, writing that his department would have to do the “minimum” required by statute and then “fight to end the program for our next budget.” Fight to end a program that Noem herself praised because it “ensures women have a seat at the table during peace negotiations through meaningful congressional oversight.”
Meanwhile, in Michigan, the president was celebrating his 100 days in office, which polls establish has been, politically speaking, an unprecedented disaster, by taking pleasure in the inability of his opponents to stop his efforts to reward his friends and punish his enemies.
According to The New York Times, “he seems particularly proud of how he has wielded extraordinary executive power in slashing the federal workforce — by far one of the most disruptive acts in his first 100 days in office — eliminating what he calls ‘incompetent
French, German and Swiss German.”
“With his gifted hands and love of machinery, Pete continued to fix cars, vacuums, clocks, lawnmowers, washing machines and dryers, just to name a few. His backyard was the junk yard of Sanford and Son, and many people passing through his life benefited, as a result.”
Can we judge the presence of sheer aliveness by how small or big something is? Can we gauge the light someone has shed in our universe by the scale of their accomplishments? My obituary teachers show me that our presence in the world, no matter the scale, spreads light. Do any of us laugh off summer fireflies because the light they shed is so small? No way! They’re magical! Just like the unique light, small or large, each of us sheds in the world.
Oh, wait, wait! I was so overcome by admiration for my obituary teachers that I completely forgot about the guardrails they provide. When I consider a possible future obituary for myself, it’s cringing to even consider something like the following:
“Jan was known for shaming people.” “Jan‘s tongue had a cutting edge, which left its mark on people.” “She was a stellar keyboard warrior who excelled at taking others down in social media.”
Nope, nope, nope. See what I mean about preventative behavioral guardrails? And, damn, they work! I just love my obituary teachers!
Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.
Inside the wildest battle for the White House
THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL race had no shortage of surprises. But the most remarkable part might be what author Jonathan Allen called “the most epic comeback in American political history.”
Allen and his co-author Amie Parnes joined me recently on my podcast, Newt’s World, to talk about their new book, “FIGHT: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House.” It’s an amazing, behind-the-scenes account of how a race that started as a rematch between two political veterans turned into one of the most dramatic elections in American history.
As Allen told me, the moment everything changed was the first debate. Incumbent President Joe Biden visibly struggled to stay coherent, and it became painfully clear to the American people that something was wrong.
“You just couldn’t unsee it,” he said. From that moment on, the campaign spiraled in a completely new direction.
What stunned me — and I think will surprise a lot of readers — is that Biden only did 45 minutes of debate prep. He held no serious rehearsals or mock debates.
His team thought an early debate would help reset the race. Instead, it ended his campaign.
Behind the scenes, Democratic leaders such as Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama began quietly working to get Biden to step aside without tearing the party apart. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris and her team were scrambling to lock in support before anyone else could jump in the race. Within days, Harris was suddenly the nominee.
and unnecessary deep state bureaucrats.’”
Not so fast. It’s true that Trump and his soon-to-be ex-best friend Elon Musk have raised havoc with the bureaucracy, laying off essential workers and standing by as long-standing civil servants who we need leave rather than work for him.
But not everyone is going gently into the night. Civil servants aren’t supposed to be fired by the White House because right-wing whisperer Laura Loomer targets them, as career prosecutor Adam Schleifer was, or because they disagree with restoring Mel Gibson’s gun rights, as pardon attorney Elizabeth Oyer was.
They are among the thousands of civil servants who have appealed their dismissals to the Merit Systems Protection Board, whose rulings can then be appealed to the federal courts in Washington. Federal law holds that civil servants are not supposed to be fired for political reasons, for whistle blowing or simply to clear positions for political loyalists. Trump officials have done all three, triggering a litigation explosion.
This is what the president is reveling in.
But my personal winner for the outrage of the week was the announcement by the Department of Education and Health and Human Services that they are investigating the Harvard Law Review for alleged bias in the selection of articles for publication.
The Harvard Law Review, a studentrun publication, is near and dear to my heart because many years ago I was its first woman president. But why it commands the attention of two Cabinet departments, and merits an investigation, is utterly beyond me.
According to news reports, the investigation is based on reports that one student said “a piece should be subject to expedited review because the author was a minority” and another student allegedly was concerned that most of those who wanted to reply to an article on police reform “are white men.”
What two students allegedly said about supporting diversity triggers a federal investigation?
“No institution — no matter its pedigree, prestige or wealth — is above the law,” Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Education said in announcing the investigation.
What about the president?
Susan Estrich is a lawyer, professor, author and political commentator.
But as Parnes explained, Harris walked into a political trap. She was publicly tied to Biden by his insistence that there was “no daylight” between them.
So, she was unable to be the change candidate voters clearly wanted.
While Democrats were managing internal chaos, Donald Trump was doing what he does best. He was grabbing attention and connecting with everyday Americans. Whether it was passing out McDonald’s french fries or showing up at an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight, he showed voters he was still in touch with real life. This time, there was more discipline. He stuck to his message, took advice from his team and avoided many of the mistakes that were made in 2020.
As Allen mentioned on the podcast, Trump’s comeback wasn’t just surprising — it was historic. After two impeachments, criminal trials, and even an assassination attempt, Trump didn’t just survive — he won. He defeated Biden and then Harris. In doing so, he reshaped the political landscape for a second time in his relatively short political career.
Parnes also shared something that stuck with me. She recalled a moment when one of Trump’s closest aides broke down and said, “If they can’t stop him legally, someone might try to kill him.”
That tells you just how tense and emotionally charged this election really was behind the scenes. Allen and Parnes know the full story of a once-in-a-lifetime election that upended the political world and remade American history. Their book, “FIGHT,” is packed with insight, detail, and scenes that will stick with you. If you haven’t already, it is well worth reading.
Newt Gingrich was Republican speaker of the House.
Letters to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or mailed to 1201 Edwards Mill Rd., Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27607. Letters must be signed; include the writer’s phone number, city and state; and be no longer than 300 words. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op-eds should be sent to opinion@nsjonline.com.
Contact a writer or columnist: connect@northstatejournal.com
COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH
Biden only did 45 minutes of debate prep.
PATRICK SEMANSKY / AP PHOTO Clouds roll over the White House in Washington, D.C.
obituaries
Elvis Junior Moser
Dec. 20, 1968 –Apr. 29, 2025
Elvis Junior Moser, 56, of Siler City, went to his Heavenly home on Tuesday, April 29th, 2025, at home surrounded by family.
Elvis was born December 20th, 1968, in Lee County to Robert Junior Moser and Mary John Scott Moser. He is preceded in death by his father, Robert, and his son, Jericho J. Moser.
IN MEMORY
Elvis worked in the technological field as an engineer and computer programmer. In his off time, he loved to build race cars and watch drag racing, as well as playing card games. Left to cherish his memory are his daughter, Morgan Ann Moser; his mother, Mary John Scott Moser; his aunt, Norma Jean Baum; and his uncles, Harold Mashburn and Jesse Mashburn.
Funeral service will be held
Thursday, May 8th, 2025, at 11 am, at Smith & Buckner
Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow at Carbonton United Methodist Church Cemetery in Goldston. He will be lying in repose Wednesday, April 7th, 2025, from 1 – 5 pm, at Smith & Buckner Chapel. Services will be officiated by Reverend Bob Wachs.
Smith & Buckner Funeral
Home will be assisting the Moser family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com
JOEY GREENE
JAN. 20, 1950 – APRIL 30, 2025
Joey Greene, born January 20, 1950, to Norvin and Lillian Greene, passed away on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Joey lived a life marked by dedication and faith. He spent many years working with Sears before answering a higher calling to ministry, serving as a pastor at various churches. He left a lasting impact.
Joey leaves behind his beloved wife, Kathy Greene; his son, Kyle Greene (Shelley); and his cherished grandchildren, Noah and Lily, who brought him great joy and pride.
A visitation will be held at 2:00 p.m., followed by a service at 4:00 p.m. at Prosperity Church, 2449 River Road Robbins, North Carolina, on Saturday, May 3, 2025 with Pastor Jody Pugh and Pastor Mike Garner presiding. The family will receive friends in the fellowship hall following the committal. JoyceBrady Chapel will be open on Friday, May 2, 2025 for friends to sign the register. Family and friends are invited to gather and celebrate a life well lived and a legacy that will continue through those he loved so dearly.
Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Chatham News & Record at obits@chathamrecord.com
Ruth Buzzi, comedy sketch player on groundbreaking series ‘Laugh-In,’ dies at 88
Condolences poured in from around the entertainment industry
By Beth Harris The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Ruth
Buzzi, who rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch comedy series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and made over 200 television appearances during a 45-year career, died Thursday. She was 88.
Buzzi died at her home in Texas, her agent Mike Eisenstadt said. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and was in hospice care. Shortly before her death, her husband Kent Perkins, had posted a statement on Buzzi’s Facebook page, thanking her many fans and telling them: “She wants you to know she probably had more fun doing those shows than you had watching them.”
Buzzi won a Golden Globe and was a two-time Emmy nominee for the NBC show that ran from 1968 to 1973. She was the only regular to appear in all six seasons, including the pilot.
“Ruth Buzzi was a comedic genius,” Nancy Sinatra posted on X. “Working alongside her on Laugh-In was the most fun I ever had working. I treasured her friendship and I am heartbroken to wake up to the news that she is gone. I love you, Ruthie.”
Singer Deana Martin posted, “Her laughter and warmth touched us all, leaving an everlasting void.”
Ormphby character leads to ‘Laugh-In’
Buzzi was first spotted by “Laugh-In” creator and producer George Schlatter playing various characters on “The Steve Allen Comedy Hour.”
Schlatter was holding auditions for “Laugh-In” when he received a picture in the mail of Buzzi in her Ormphby costume, sitting in a wire mesh trash barrel. The character was clad in drab brown with her bun covered by a hairnet knotted in the middle of her forehead.
“I think I hired her because of my passion for Gladys Ormphby,” he wrote in his 2023 memoir “Still Laughing A Life in Comedy.” “I must admit that the hairnet and the rolled-down stockings did light my fire. My favorite Gladys line was when she announced that the day of the office Christmas party, they sent her home early.”
The Gladys character used her purse as a weapon against anyone who bothered her, striking people over the head. On “Laugh-In,” her most frequent target was Arte Johnson’s dirty old man character Tyrone F. Horneigh.
“Gladys embodies the overlooked, the downtrodden, the taken for granted, the struggler,” Buzzi told The Connecti-
cut Post in 2018. “So when she fights back, she speaks for everyone who’s been marginalized, reduced to a sex object or otherwise abused. And that’s almost everyone at some time or other.”
Buzzi took her act to the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts in Las Vegas, where she bashed her purse on the heads of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Lucille Ball, among others.
“Ruth Buzzi brought a singular energy and charm to sketch comedy that made her a standout on ‘Laugh-In’ and the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. Her characters, especially the unforgettable Gladys Ormphby, captured the delightful absurdity of the era,” said Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York.
Her other recurring characters on “Laugh-In” included Flicker Farkle; Busy-Buzzi, a Hollywood gossip columnist; Doris Swizzler, a cocktail-lounge regular who got drunk with husband Leonard, played by Dick Martin; and an inconsiderate flight attendant.
“I never took my work for granted, nor assumed I deserved more of the credit or spotlight or more pay than anyone else,” Buzzi told The Connecticut Post. “I was just thrilled to drive down the hill to NBC every day as an employed actor with a job to do.”
Buzzi remained friends through the years with “LaughIn” co-stars Lily Tomlin and Jo Anne Worley.
From cheerleading to the stage
Born Ruth Ann Buzzi on July 24, 1936, in Westerly, Rhode Island, she was the daughter of Angelo Buzzi, a nationally known stone sculptor. Her father and later her brother operated Buzzi Memorials, a gravestone and monument maker in Stonington, Connecticut, where she was head cheerleader in high school.
Buzzi enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse at age 17. Two years later, she traveled with singer Rudy Vallee in a musical and comedy act during her summer break. That earned her an Actors’ Equity union card
before she graduated from the playhouse’s College of Theatre Arts.
Buzzi moved to New York and was immediately hired for a lead role in an off-Broadway musical revue, the first of 19 such shows she performed in on the East Coast.
She got her national television break on “The Garry Moore Show” in 1964, just after Carol Burnett was replaced by Dorothy Loudon on the series. She played Shakundala the Silent, a bumbling magician’s assistant to Dom DeLuise’s character Dominic the Great. Buzzi was a regular on the CBS variety show “The Entertainers” whose hosts included Burnett and Bob Newhart.
She was in the original Broadway cast of “Sweet Charity” with Gwen Verdon in 1966. Buzzi toured the country with her nightclub act, including appearances in Las Vegas.
She was a semi-regular on “That Girl” as Marlo Thomas’ friend. She co-starred with Jim Nabors as time-traveling androids on “The Lost Saucer” in the mid-1970s. Her other guest appearances included variety shows hosted by Burnett, Flip Wilson, Glen Campbell, Tony Orlando, Donny and Marie Osmond and Leslie Uggams.
She appeared in Ball’s last comedy series “Life With Lucy.” Buzzi appeared in music videos with “Weird Al” Yankovic, the B-52’s and the Presidents of the United States of America.
She did hundreds of guest voices in cartoon series including “Pound Puppies,” “Berenstain Bears,” “The Smurfs” and “The Angry Beavers.”
She was Emmy nominated for her six-year run as shopkeeper Ruthie on “Sesame Street.” Her movie credits included “Freaky Friday,” “Chu Chu and the Philly Flash,” “The North Avenue Irregulars” and “The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.”
Buzzi was active on social media and had thousands of followers whom she rewarded with such one-liners as “I have never faked a sarcasm” and “Scientists say the universe is made up entirely of neurons, protons and electrons. They seem to have missed morons.”
NICK UT / AP PHOTO
“Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” cast members, from left, Lily Tomlin, Henry Gibson, Ruth Buzzi and Gary Owens in Los Angeles in 2002.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
25E000212-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
The undersigned, Marie H. Hopper, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of John R. Stell, deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of August 7, 2025, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This the 9th day of May, 2025.
Marie H. Hopper Executor Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post Office Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312
NOTICE
CHATHAM COUNTY FY26 BUDGET HEARING
NOTICE The Chatham County budget for FY2025-26 has been submitted to the Board of Commissioners and is available for public inspection on th6e Chatham County website or in the office of the Clerk to the Board, located at 12 East Street in Pittsboro.
The Chatham County Board of Commissioners will hold two public hearings on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Budget on Monday, May 19, 2025 at 6:00pm and Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 6:00pm. The public is invited to attend the hearing to express their viewpoints. The hearing on May 19, 2025 will be held at the Historic Courthouse located at 9 Hillsboro Street in Pittsboro at 6:00pm. The hearing on May 20, 2025 will be held at Siler City Town Hall located at 311 North Second Avenue in Siler City at 6:00pm.
Those wishing to speak may sign up on the county website or submit written comments to Clerk to the Board Jenifer Johnson at PO Box 1809, Pittsboro, NC 27312 or jenifer.johnson@chathamcountync.gov.
NOTICE
NOTICE OF PROCEEDING AND SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF RANDOLPH IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION FILE NO. 22CVD001043-750 FELISHA LYNN ALSTON v. TIMOTEO ULLOA TORRES
To: Timoteo Ulloa Torres, Defendant. TAKE NOTICE that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above-entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is ABSOLUTE DIVORCE BASED ON ONE YEAR SEPARATION. You are required to answer the petition not later than June 22, 2025 and upon your failure to do so the party seeking relief against you will apply to the Court for the relief herein sought.
This the 8th day of May, 2025. Margaret J. Megerian, Attorney for Plaintiff 175 E. Salisbury Street Asheboro, NC 27203
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION CHATHAM COUNTY FILE NO. 23CvD000193-180 COUNTY OF CHATHAM Plaintiff, NOTICE OF SERVICE OF vs. PROCESS BY PUBLICATION
The HEIRS, ASSIGNS, and DEVISEES of DONALD DEE LOWE, et al Defendants.
TO: The HEIRS, ASSIGNS, and DEVISEES of DONALD DEE LOWE and spouse, if any, which may include KASSIDY DAWN LOWE and spouse, if any, and any other person or entity claiming thereunder A pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above-entitled action and notice of service of process by publication began on April 24th, 2025. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Foreclosure on tax parcel(s) more completely described in the Complaint, to collect delinquent ad valorem taxes (assessments). Plaintiff seeks to extinguish any and all claim or interest that you may have in said property.
You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than forty (40) days after the date of the first publication of notice stated above, exclusive of such date, being forty (40) days after April 24th, 2025, or by June 3, 2025, and upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service of process by publication will apply to the Court for relief sought. This the 14th day of April, 2025. ZACCHAEUS LEGAL SERVICES
By: _________________
Mark D. Bardill/Mark B. Bardill Attorney for Plaintiff NC Bar #12852/56782 310 W. Jones St. P. O. Box 25 Trenton, North Carolina 28585 Telephone: (252) 4484541 Publication dates: April 24, 2025 May 1, 2025 May 8, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
All persons having claims against Laurice Ferris, of Chatham County, North Carolina, are notified to present them to Gwendolyn H Waddell-Schultz, Personal Representative of the Estate of Laurice Ferris, at NextGen Estate Solutions, 500 Westover Dr. #35317, Sanford, NC 27330 or before July 17, 2025. Failure to present a claim in timely fashion will result in this Notice being pleaded in bar of recovery against the estate, the Personal Representative, and the devisees of Laurice Ferris. Those indebted to Laurice Ferris are asked to make prompt payment to the Estate. Gwendolyn Waddel-Schults, Personal Representative Patricia Lewis, Co-Personal Representative C/O Brittany N. Porter, Attorney NextGen Estate Solutions 500 Westover Dr. #35317 Sanford, NC 27330
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ALL PERSONS, firms and corporations having claims against James P. Ward, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before August 3, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 1st day of May, 2025. Peter J. Ward, Executor 225 Britten Pass Alpharetta, GA 30009
PUBLIC NOTICE
(Including Private/Home School Personnel)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEAPart B, Public Law 108.446) Project is presently being amended. The Project describes the special education programs that Chatham County Public Schools proposes for Federal Funding for the 20252026 school year. Interested persons are encouraged to review amendments to the Project and make comments concerning the implementation of special education under this Federal Program. All comments will be considered prior to submission of the amended project to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh, North Carolina. The IDEA-Part B Project is open to the public for review and comments during the period of May 1315, 2025, in the office of the Director of Exceptional Children Program, located at Central Services - 468 Renaissance Drive, Pittsboro, North Carolina 27312, between the hours of 8:30 am - 3:30 pm.
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
A public hearing will be held by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on Monday, May 19, 2025, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The hearing will be held in the courtroom of the Historic Courthouse in Pittsboro, North Carolina at 9 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro NC 27312. Additional information is available at the Chatham County Planning Department office. Speakers are requested to sign up at the meeting prior to the hearing. You may also sign up on the county website prior to the meeting at www.chathamcountync.gov by selecting the heading County Government, then Commissioner Meetings, then Public Input/Hearing Sign Up. The public hearing may be continued to another date at the discretion of the Board of Commissioners. The purpose of the Public Hearing is to receive input, both written and oral, on the issues listed below: Testimony is required to be given under oath during the evidentiary hearing for the following item:
Quasi-Judicial Request:
A quasi-judicial public hearing requested for a Special
Use Permit revision to the Chatham Downs shopping center, located on Parcel 18906, located at 88 Chatham Downs Dr., to add a fueling station, Williams Township.
Substantial changes may be made following the public hearing due to verbal or written comments received or based on the Board’s discussions. Notice to people with special needs: If you have an audio or visual impairment, unique accessibility requirements or need language assistance, please call the number listed below prior to the hearing and assistance may be provided. If you have any questions or comments concerning these issues, please call the Chatham County Planning Department at 919-542-8204 or write to P.O. Box 54, Pittsboro N.C. 27312.
Please run in your paper: May 8th and 15th, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
25E000118-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
The undersigned, Susan Elizabeth Moushon, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Carl Eugene Moushon, deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of July 31, 2025, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This the 2nd day of May, 2025.
Susan Elizabeth Moushon Executor
Marie H. Hopper
Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post Office Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312
Notice of Probate
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF Catherine Crowe Ragland, File number 25E00200-180.
Notice is hereby given that Catherine Crowe Ragland, whose last known address was 300 Clynelish Close, Pittsboro, NC 27312, died in Chatham County on February 9, 2025, and that an Executor has been appointed Personal Representative of the Estate of said deceased person by the Clerk of Superior Court for Chatham County, North Carolina.
All creditors of said estate are hereby notified to present their claims to the Personal Representative at the contact information below within 3 months from the date of the first publication of this notice, which is on or before August 10, 2025, or their claims will be barred forever.
Estate of Catherine Crowe Ragland
118 Monterey Lane Durham, NC 27713 Please be advised that a copy of the will of the decedent is on file with the Chatham County Superior Court and is available for inspection.
Date of First Publication: May 8, 2025
NOTICE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR ROAD NAMING
Notice is hereby given that the Chatham County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Monday, May 19, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in the Historic Courthouse, Pittsboro, North Carolina. The purpose of the public hearing is to gain citizen input on the proposed renaming of Paul Farrington Road to Lakeside Drive. Both written and oral comments will be received. Written comments may be sent to the attention of the Clerk to the Board, Chatham County, P.O. Box 1809, Pittsboro, North Carolina 27312.
Notice to person with Disabilities: The Chatham County Board of Commissioners encourages input and participation from all its citizens. The Board and staff will make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. If you need assistance, please call (5428200), or write the ADA Coordinator’s Office, County Manager’s Office, Courthouse Annex, P. O. Box 1809 Pittsboro, North Carolina 27312.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Martha Ashley Orr qualified before the Chatham County Clerk of Court on April 9th, 2025 as The Executor of The Estate of Tamla Crisp Orr, 568 Lydia Perry Road, Sanford, NC 27330. This is to notify all persons, firms and corporations, as required by NCGS 28A-14-1, having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the attorney designated below on or before the 22nd Day of July, 2025 or this notice will be pled in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payments to the undersigned. Payments and claims should be presented to M. Andrew Lucas, P.O. Box 1045, Sanford, NC 27331-1045
Please Publish: April 24th, May 1st, 8th & 15th, 2025
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE # 24 SP 1058-180
In Re: Estate of Douglas H. Foxx W. WOODS DOSTER, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF DOUGLAS H. FOXX, Petitioner, vs. THOMAS C. FOXX, Respondent. Pursuant to the Order for Possession, Custody, Control, and Sale of Real Property filed on June 4, 2024, in the above captioned proceeding, NOTICE is hereby given that the subject property described below will be put up for public sale on May 14, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.; the sale will be held at the Chatham County Courthouse in the designated area for sale. The subject property is commonly referred to as 1036 Brower Road, Siler City, North Carolina 27344, Parcel #0061125, and more particularly described as follows: BEING ALL of Lot 6A, containing 0.905 acres, more or less, as shown on a map entitled, “Property of Ruth Fox,” prepared by Smith & Smith Surveyors, dated September 22, 1983, recorded at Map Book 36, Page 75, Chatham County Registry. Chatham County Parcel 00661125 Address: 1036 Brower Road A cash deposit from the highest bidder equal to ten percent (10%) of the amount of the bid is required at the time of public sale. Said bid shall be reported to the Court and will remain open for the requisite upset bid period as required by law. The Court reserves the right to approve and reject all bids. THE PROPERTY IS SOLD AS-IS, WHERE-IS, WITH ALL FAULTS. This the _____ day of ________________, 2025.
J. Grant Brown, Attorney for Administrator Law Offices of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
The undersigned Commissioner certifies that he has this day served upon the below listed persons, a copy of the Notice of Sale for 1036 Brower Road, Siler City, NC 27344 by depositing a copy in a postpaid wrapper in the United States Postal Office, properly addressed to each part as follows: Thomas C. Foxx 7029 Cedar Park Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19138 This the _____ day of ________________, 2025.
J. Grant Brown, Attorney for Commissioner Law Offices of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330
NOTICE OF SERVICE BY PUBLICATION
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE # 24SP001157-180 W. WOODS DOSTER, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF JOHN HENRY JACKSON, Petitioner, vs. MONEEK W. JACKSON, SAMUEL LEE JACKSON, AND DELENA J. SPINELLI, Respondents To: Samuel Lee Jackson and Delena J. Spinelli Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above-entitled special proceeding. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Petitioner is the duly appointed and qualified administrator of the Estate of John Henry Jackson; see Chatham County Estate File #22E000690-180. The purpose of this action is to sell John Henry Jackson’s property to pay the debts of his estate. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than June 17, 2025 and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought. This the 1st day of May, 2025.
Shelby L. Lennon, Attorney for Administrator Law Offices of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330 Publish: 05/08/25, 05/15/25, 05/22/25
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against MARJORIE J. EDWARDS, who died on December 22, 2024, late of Chatham County, NC, are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before July 17, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 17th day of April, 2025.
Ronald C. Edwards, Executor c/o John R. Cella, Jr. Ragsdale Liggett PLLC 2840 Plaza Place, Suite 400 Raleigh, NC 27612
For Publication: April 17, 2025; April 24, 2025; May 1, 2025; May 8, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Having qualified as the Administrator of the Estate of Russell Lee Hackney, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned through the attorney, Raymond L. Grier & Associates, LLC, 100 South Juniper Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 on or before the 1st day of August, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This 1st day of May, 2025.
Raymond L. Grier & Associates, LLC 100 South Juniper Street, 3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 Telephone: 215 987 3990 Facsimile: 215 987 3984 raymondgrier@msn.com
Attorney for Rumarcus D. Hackney, Administrator of the Estate of Russell Lee Hackney.
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS
HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of David Anthony Cook, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 7th day of August, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the lst day of May, 2025.
Susan Dowd Wustrow, Executor of the Estate of David Anthony Cook 1142 Bonlee Bennett Road Siler City, North Carolina 27344 MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850 4tp
NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY
HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Billy Edward York, Jr., late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 7th day of August, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the lst day of May, 2025. Linda N. York, Executor of the Estate of
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH
FILE#25E000218-180
ROBERT YOX, EXECUTOR 13132 MOREHEAD CHAPEL HILL, NC 27517 Run dates: A24,M1,8,15p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#25E000195-180
The undersigned, ETHAN DUNLAP SMITH having qualified on the 14TH Day of APRIL, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of HELEN JANE DUNLAP, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 24TH Day of JULY 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 24TH DAY OF APRIL, 2025.
ETHAN DUNLAP SMITH, EXECUTOR 156 WINDSOR CIRCLE CHAPEL HILL, NC 27516
Run dates: A24,M1,8,15p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#25E000186-180
The undersigned, KEITH FREDERICK ALEXANDER, having qualified on the 4TH Day of APRIL, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of KATHLEEN ANN ALEXANDER, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 17TH Day of JULY 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 17TH DAY OF APRIL, 2025.
KEITH FREDERICK ALEXANDER, EXECUTOR 111 LANTERN RIDGE LANE CARY, NC 27519
Run dates: A17,24,M1,8p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000234-180
The undersigned, DANIEL JOSEPH NAGLE, having qualified on the 30TH Day of APRIL, 2025 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of MARY KENNEDY NAGLE, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 8TH Day OF AUGUST 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 8TH DAY OF MAY, 2025. DANIEL JOSEPH NAGLE, ADMINISTRATOR 6304 BLAIRMORE COURT RALEIGH, NC 27612
Run dates: M8,15,22,29p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of RACHEL JESSUP JOHNSON, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned James Keith Johnson hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against
ETHICS BOWL from page A1
over important issues, proponents of Ethics Bowl say it points the way. In Ethics Bowl, teams aren’t assigned a specific position on an issue that they have to defend regardless of their beliefs. Instead, members are given cases to discuss and make their own decisions about what they consider the best position. Teams can, and often do, come to similar conclusions. It is — and this is important — OK for them to agree. Scoring is based on how deeply they explore the issues, including other viewpoints.
Robert Ladenson, who developed the Ethics Bowl as a college philosophy classroom exercise back in 1993 and went on to lead the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl for decades, explains what he considers an ethical understanding of an issue in an oral
Notice of Public Hearings
Town of Siler City
history for the University of Illinois in 2023. It means “having some capacity to view, from the inside, the ethical outlooks of people who disagree with you. That means not simply being aware of what they’ve said or what they’ve written, or being able to develop a nifty debaters’ responses to the viewpoints they hold — but really looking inside the other view and trying to understand it from the other person’s way of looking at the world.”
That plays out at Ethics Bowl. Take the case “See Spot Clone,” about whether it is ever ethical to clone a pet.
Harpeth Hall from Nashville starts the discussion with six minutes to present their thoughts. There are millions of homeless pets, so the ethical choice is to adopt, they believe. Cloning is self-serving for the human. The pet cannot con-
The following items will be considered by the Siler City Board of Commissioners as legislative hearings. The hearings will be conducted during the Board of Commissioner’s regular meeting on Monday May 19, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the court room located in the Siler City Town Hall at 311 N. 2nd Ave. CASE R25-0401: Rezoning request by Nunna Realty Inc, of approximately 10.00 acres from A-R (Agricultural Residential) to H-C (Highway Commercial). The proposed parcel ia located at the intersection of Frazier Store Road and US 64 W with the address of 19121 US 64 W and further identified as PAR# 13032. Legislative Public Hearings
This item was reviewed and recommended for denial by the Siler City Planning Board at their April 14, 2025, regular meeting.
The proposed item is available for review by contacting Timothy Mack at tmack@silercity.org or 919-726-8626. All persons interested in the outcome of this item are invited to attend the legislative hearing and present comments, testimony, and exhibits on the above referenced item.
Interested parties may also submit written comments. Written comments can be submitted by email to tmack@silercity.org. Individuals desiring to speak may sign up by registering their name and information on the sign-up sheet, located outside the entry doors to the court room.
The Town of Siler City will make appropriate arrangements to ensure that disabled persons are provided other accommodations, such arrangements may include, but are not limited to, providing interpreters for the deaf, providing taped cassettes of materials for the blind, or assuring a barrier-free location for the proceedings.
This information is available in Spanish or any other language upon request. Please contact Kimberly Pickard at 919-726-8620, 311 North Second Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina 27344, or kpickard@ silercity.org for accommodations for this request. Esta información está disponible en español o en cualquier otro idioma bajo petición. Por favor, póngase en contacto con Kimberly Pickard al kpickard@silercity.org o 919-726-8625 o en 311 North Second Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina 27344 de alojamiento para esta solicitud.
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
TOWN OF PITTSBORO
The Town of Pittsboro’s budget for FY 2025-2026 has been submitted to the Board of Commissioners and a copy is available for public inspection in the office of the Town Clerk, Town of Pittsboro Town Hall, 287 East Street, Suite 221, Pittsboro, NC. The Board of Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing on the budget at 6:00pm, May 12, 2025, at the Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center, located at US Highway 64 West Business, Pittsboro, NC. Chatham News & Record: ADVERTISE TWICE – ON 5/1 and 5/8/2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#25E000203-180
The undersigned, LUKE SMITH AND LISA SMITH having qualified on the 14TH Day of APRIL, 2025 as CO-EXECUTORS of the Estate of RANDY LEE SMITH, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 24TH Day of JULY 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 24TH DAY OF APRIL, 2025. LUKE SMITH, CO-EXECUTOR 1853 POPE HILL CT KERNERSVILLE, NC 27284 LISA SMITH, CO-EXECUTOR 11274 US HWY 220 STONEVILLE, NC 27048 Run dates: A24,M1,8,15p
NOTICE
sent. Also, cloning may involve unknown health issues for the cloned pet. The team also believes that it is important for people to confront death.
Now it is the turn of team B, Miami’s Archimedean Upper Conservatory — not to attack and refute, but to ask questions that expand the discussion. What about pet breeders? Where do they fit on the ethical continuum? Also, what’s so wrong with cloning a pet for your own happiness? Are all selfish pursuits bad?
Next, the judges ask questions. What if there were no possible health problems for the cloned animal? What if the animal is not cloned to comfort an owner but for a more noble purpose? Would it be ethical to clone a skilled search-and-rescue dog?
In a society awash in shortcuts and simple solutions, simply setting the ground rules for con-
NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION CHATHAM COUNTY FILE NO. 10CvD000059-180 COUNTY OF CHATHAM Plaintiff, NOTICE OF SERVICE OF vs. PROCESS BY PUBLICATION The HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of PEGGY LOU «ARMA» JOHNSON MCSWAIN, et al Defendants. TO: The HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of PEGGY LOU “ARMA” JOHNSON MCSWAIN and spouse, if any, which may include The HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of JAMES ARTHUR MCSWAIN and spouse
if any, and JANUS P. MCSWAIN, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder A pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above-entitled action and notice of service of process by publication began on April 24, 2025.
The nature of the relief being sought is as follows:
Foreclosure on tax parcel(s) more completely described in the Complaint, to collect delinquent ad valorem taxes (assessments). Plaintiff seeks to extinguish any and all claim or interest that you may have in said property. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than forty (40) days after the date of the first publication of notice stated above, exclusive of such date, being forty (40) days after April 24, 2025, or by June 3, 2025, and upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service of process by publication will apply to the Court for relief sought.
This the 14th day of April, 2025.
ZACCHAEUS LEGAL SERVICES Mark D. Bardill/Mark B. Bardill Attorney for Plaintiff NC Bar #12852/56782 310 W. Jones St. P. O. Box 25 Trenton, North Carolina 28585 Telephone: (252) 448-4541
Publication dates: April 24, 2025 May 1, 2025 May 8, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#___25 E000233-180_
The undersigned, (Cathleen S Cutlip), having qualified on the 29th of April, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of, Robert David Shea deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 8TH Day OF AUGUST 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 8TH DAY OF MAY, 2025.
Cathleen S Cutlip 1068 Saint Cloud Loop Apex, NC 27523
Run dates: M8,15,22,29p
North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All that certain property situated in the County of Chatham and state of North Carolina, being more fully described in a Deed dated 02/28/2001 and recorded 03/01/2001, among the land records of the County of State set forth above,
tentious conversations like these can be a high hill to climb. At the Ethics Bowl, though, it’s part of the point: The process of conversation is as important as the outcome. And subtlety matters. A good Ethics Bowl case is one where “two well-meaning individuals can take in all of the same facts and information and come to diametrically opposite, value-driven answers,” says Alex Richardson, who directed the National Bowl for five years.
The cases students grapple with include real-life scenarios pulled from the headlines, like the less-than-respectful response to the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. There are also more philosophical issues, like whether humans should pursue immortality. And there are dilemmas that teenagers deal with every day, like whether not posting on Instagram about a hate crime
in your community makes you complicit.
Teams have been discussing a group of cases for weeks, but they don’t know which they’ll be asked about. Once the question is read, they are given a few minutes to discuss. That’s when one or two of the teammates generally scurry around the table to huddle. Intense whispering and furious scribbling ensue. There is a winning team and a trophy. But students say it is not competitive in a traditional sense.
“It’s not about beating people,” says Lizzie Lyman, whose first-year team from Midtown High School in Atlanta lost in the semifinals. “When it’s about constructively answering a question and just having a really interesting, engaging conversation, that’s where you get to have all these amazing conversations.”
NOTICE
NOTICE
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA-Part B, Public Law 108.446) Project is presently being amended. The Project describes the special education programs that Willow Oak Montessori School proposes for Federal funding for the 2025-2026 School Year. Interested persons are encouraged to review amendments to the Project and make comments concerning the implementation of special education under this Federal Program. All comments will be considered prior to submission of the amended Project to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh, North Carolina. The IDEA-Part B Project is open to the public for review and comments during the days of May 19 through May 23, 2025. To review the Project and supply comments please email Amy Turner at aturner@willowoakmontessori.org or call (919)-240-7787 located at 1476 Andrews Store Rd, Pittsboro, NC 27312.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
25E000204-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
The undersigned, Atlas Cleveland Dunn III, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Atlas Cleveland Dunn, Jr., deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of August 7, 2025, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 9th day of May, 2025.
Atlas Cleveland Dunn III Executor Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post Office Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312
NOTICE
ADVERTISEMENT Request for Bids: Moncure Collection Center
Chatham County is soliciting to provide site improvements to the Moncure Collection Center. Pursuant to NC General Statute 87.1 a general contractor license is required. Bids will be received by Michele Peluso, Chatham County Finance Office until 2:00 PM, EST, on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Bids will be opened publicly and read aloud at 2:00 PM EST, at the Chatham County Solid Waste & Recycling Center, 28 County Services Rd., Pittsboro, NC 27312.
Copies of the BID DOCUMENTS and addenda may be obtained in electronic format via the Chatham County webpage at https://www.chathamcountync.gov/ government/bid-proposal-opportunities.
Each BID must be submitted in a sealed envelope, addressed to Michele Peluso, Chatham County Finance Office at 12 East St., Pittsboro, NC 27312. Each sealed envelope containing a BID must be plainly marked on the outside as BID for Moncure Collection Center Improvements and the envelope should bear on the outside the BIDDER’S GC License number, BIDDER’S name, address, and the name of the project for which the BID is submitted. If forwarded by mail, the sealed envelope containing the BID must be enclosed in another envelope addressed to the OWNER at PO Box 608, Pittsboro, NC 27312.
All BIDS must be made on the required BID form.
All blank spaces for BID prices must be filled in, in ink or typewritten, and the BID form must be fully completed and executed when submitted. Only one copy of the BID form is required. BIDDERS must satisfy themselves of the accuracy of the estimated quantities in the BID Schedule by examination of the site and a review of the drawings and specifications including ADDENDA.
A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 3:00 PM EST, on the site located at 2855 Old US 1, Moncure, NC 27562. After BIDS have been submitted, the BIDDER shall not assert that there was a misunderstanding concerning the quantities of WORK or of the nature of the WORK to be done.
Questions regarding this RFB must be submitted in writing either via e-mail to Michele Peluso at purchasing@chathamcountync.gov or by fax to 919-542-4261. All questions requiring additional information will be responded to in an addendum. The deadline for questions is Wednesday, May 14, 2025, by 12:00 Noon.
ADVERTISEMENT Request for Bids: Mowing Services
Chatham County is soliciting to provide site improvements to the Moncure Collection Center. Bids will be received by Michele Peluso, Chatham County Finance Office until 2:00 PM, EST, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Bids will be opened publicly and read aloud at 2:00 PM EST, at the Chatham County Performance Building, 964 East St., Pittsboro, NC 27312. Copies of the BID DOCUMENTS and addenda may be obtained in electronic format via the Chatham County webpage at https://www.chathamcountync.gov/ government/bid-proposal-opportunities. Each BID must be submitted in a sealed envelope, addressed to Michele Peluso, Chatham County Finance Office at 12 East St., Pittsboro, NC 27312. Each sealed envelope containing a BID must be plainly marked on the outside as BID for Mowing Services and the envelope should bear on the outside the BIDDER’S name, address, and
All blank spaces for BID prices must be filled in, in ink or typewritten, and the BID form must be fully completed and executed when submitted. Only one copy of the BID form is required. BIDDERS must satisfy themselves of the accuracy of the estimated quantities in the BID Schedule by examination of the site and a review of the drawings and specifications including ADDENDA. A mandatory pre-bid meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 10:00 AM EST, on the site located at 964 East St., Pittsboro, NC 27312. After BIDS have been submitted, the BIDDER shall not assert that there was a misunderstanding concerning the quantities of WORK or of the nature of the WORK to be done.
Questions regarding this RFB must be submitted in writing either via e-mail to Michele Peluso at purchasing@chathamcountync.gov or by fax to 919-542-4261. All questions requiring additional information will be responded to in an addendum. The deadline for questions is Wednesday, May 14, 2025, by 5:00 PM.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
25E000232-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
The undersigned, Jordan Riggans, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of John G. Wright, deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of August 6, 2025, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 8th
CHATHAM SPORTS
Seaforth looks to repeat as state champions
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
AFTER SENDING two
teams to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association girls’ soccer state championships last year, Chatham County is looking to repeat that feat.
The girls’ soccer regular season will wrap up this week with the first round of the playoffs starting Monday.
Teams will be seeded for the state tournament brackets Friday. All five county teams find themselves in the field or on the bubble for a playoff berth as of Sunday.
In both the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A and Central Tar Heel 1A conferences, there will be two automatic state playoff berths reserved for the regular season conference champion and the regular season conference runner up. The remaining nonautomatic qualifying teams will be determined by the ratings percentage index, or RPI, standings.
RPI considers the winning percentage of a team, its opponents and its opponent’s opponents when determining how a team will be seeded.
Xounty teams find themselves in or near the playoff field as the regular season winds down
junior, has only played in seven games this season has been out since April 17. Freshmen have filled in and stepped up in some players’ absence this year, but it will take the valuable experience of its seasoned veterans to win in the later rounds.
Northwood (2A East)
Seaforth sweeps conference baseball, softball tournaments
The Hawks won their first conference tournament title for softball
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
SEAFORTH TOOK home
the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference tournament titles in baseball and softball last week.
Here’s a recap of each championship game and the moments leading up to them:
Baseball
Seaforth pitchers Jaedyn Rader and Easton Sykes threw a combined 49 strikes (73 pitches) and only gave up a hit each in a 5-0 win over No. 3 Northwood in the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference tournament championship game on May 1. The top-seeded Hawks took both the tournament and reg-
“What we showed on the mound was our true identity of what we are on the mound.”
Spenser Messmore
ular season conference titles in back-to-back seasons.
Rader, who got the start and the win on the mound, struck out three batters. His performance, combined with Sykes and the rest of the Seaforth defense, helped the Hawks overcome three errors that could’ve changed the game.
“What we showed on the mound was our true identity of what we are on the mound,” Seaforth coach Spenser Messmore said. “It’s pretty much
Seaforth (2A East, automatic bid)
Conference/conference record/place: Mid-Carolina
1A/2A, 11-0, first place
RPI: 0.597649
Projected seed: 4
Seaforth, the defending 2A state champions, are set to possibly earn another top four seed in the upcoming state playoffs. The Hawks have already clinched their conference title and will likely host the first couple of rounds. As it looks to repeat, the key for Seaforth will be health. The Hawks have had multiple players miss time with injuries this season, including leading scorer Sofia Viana. Viana, a
The NCHSAA will seed 32 eastern and 32 western teams in each state bracket. Based on conference and RPI standings as of Sunday, here’s a playoff outlook for the county teams projected to make the state tournament.
Conference/conference record/place: Mid-Carolina
1A/2A, 10-3, second place
RPI: 0.522439
Projected seed: 17
Northwood has put together another solid season with hopes of finishing second in the conference and earning its third straight playoff berth. The Chargers will likely land in the middle of the bracket with a seed in the low teens.
Led by senior striker Sarah Anne Murrell and freshman midfielder Madelyn Bolejack, Northwood is battle tested after playing a tough schedule. The Chargers got their young team acclimated to fiercer competition in higher classifications throughout the season, which could make for a more prepared team back on the 2A level.
Grimes notches 6 goals to lead Seaforth over Union Pines
The Hawks are now 3-0 all time against the Vikings
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
PITTSBORO — Junior Ivan Grimes scored a team-high six goals, including two in the tightly contested fourth quarter, to lead the Seaforth boys’ lacrosse team over nonconference foe Union Pines 12-9 on April 30. After Union Pines junior Hayne Tobias tied the game at 8 less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Grimes and sophomore Oscar Ditter combined for four goals to close out the win.
“As soon as they start getting momentum, we want them to think they have it, and then we take it right back.”
Ivan Grimes
With just under seven minutes left to play, Grimes used a flashy spin on a defender to get open and sent a shot from the right side through the back of the net, putting the Hawks up 11-9. Two minutes later, Ditter, who gave the Hawks the lead after Tobias’ game-tying score, put the game away with his second goal of the night.
“Great coaching by coach Hubbard, telling me to move on
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Seaforth celebrates a 5-0 win over Northwood that gave the Hawks the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference title.
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Sofia Viana (10) fires a penalty kick toward the goal earlier this season. Seaforth will enter the playoffs with Viana sidelined by injury.
GIRLS’ SOCCER PLAYOFF PREVIEW
SIDELINE REPORT
GOLF
Dent, among top black golfers on PGA Tour Champions, dead at 85
Jim Dent died a week before his 86th birthday. Dent was one of the top black golfers of his generation, winning 12 times on the PGA Tour Champions. He started out as a caddie at the municipal course in Augusta, Georgia, known as The Patch. Dent went from caddying to the PGA Tour. He never won a tour event. His best finish was runner-up to Jack Nicklaus at the Walt Disney World Open Invitational.
NFL
Former agent for Elway dies after golf cart accident
La Quinta, Calif.
California authorities say the death of Jeff Sperbeck, John Elway’s business partner and former agent, in a golf cart accident appears to be a horrific accident. The sheriff’s department is investigating the incident. A witness says Elway was at the scene of the crash and several reports claim Elway was driving the golf cart. The 62-year-old Sperbeck died after his injury at the Madison Club near Palm Springs. Sperbeck was Elway’s longtime agent during Elway’s time on the Denver Broncos, his business partner and his close friend.
GOLF
Scheffler matches PGA Tour 72-hole scoring record in 8-shot win
McKinney, Texas
Scottie Scheffler tied the PGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring record, finishing at 253 and running away with an eight-shot victory at his hometown CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The top-ranked player, who closed with a 63 to finish at 31 under par, tied the mark set by Justin Thomas in 2017 and matched six years later by Ludvig Aberg. Scheffler was in position to break the record before a flubbed chip that led to bogey on the par-3 17th hole.
MLB
20-year-old man who fell to the warning track at Pirates game awake Pittsburgh The fan who fell from a 21-foot-high wall onto the warning track at PNC Park during a Pittsburgh Pirates game is awake and alert. Kavan Markwood, the 20-year-old who slipped off a railing and onto the field during a game, is improving. Markwood has made significant progress since being admitted to the trauma center at Allegheny General Hospital in critical condition. The team’s internal investigation says Markwood did not purchase any alcohol, but one of the people who attended the game with him did legally buy alcoholic beverages.
SOCCER
Soccer organizations might have to cover care costs for ex-players with dementia
London Soccer organizations in Britain could be forced to pay toward the care costs of ex-players who have suffered brain conditions caused by heading balls, under proposals to be tabled in Parliament. Campaigners are drafting amendments to the Football Governance Bill with the aim of treating it as an “industrial injuries issue” and overseeing a scheme to provide care and support for those affected. The proposals seek to require the industry, to provide the necessary financial support.
Don’t think race car drivers are elite athletes? Give their workouts a try
Circuit training with weights, core exercises, rowing and ski machines help drivers prepare
By Jim Vertuno The Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas — First came the mounting tension in the shoulders and the weakening grip while carrying 25-pound weights.
Then the labored breathing while ripping through the rowing and skiing simulators, and the pain in the thighs on the box jumps.
Topping it off: The strain on the neck simulating what it feels like to hit the brakes while racing at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour and the G-forces felt though sweeping turns.
Welcome to the workout routine for two-time IndyCar series champion Josef Newgarden, a cross-fit session designed to fine-tune his body for strength and endurance in racing.
“You’re taxing every part of
the body, which is what happens in an IndyCar,” Newgarden said. “There’s no power steering, you’re pulling high G-forces, it’s hot and your heart rate is elevated. Everything is being stressed.”
Newgarden trainer Jeff Richter designs the workout routine for the driver. It’s a nonstop circuit of weight lifting, rowing and ski machines, core stretches and balance exercises, burpees and broad jumping, with only a few seconds rest between each exercise.
Picking the most fit athlete is a topic that tends to be a conversation starter. Wrestlers? Endurance runners? Water polo players? Boxers, swimmers, cross-country skiers?
Race car drivers don’t tend to end up high on any of those lists; they just sit and drive ... right?
Not so fast.
Drivers across every elite series do some kind of physical training, from Newgarden’s cross-fit training to the endurance training and reac-
NHL players are all about pregame routine, whether it’s naps or walking the dog
Doing the same thing every game day helps players get in the right frame of mind
By Pat Graham The Associated Press
BEFORE GAMES, Dallas forward Matt Duchene relies on the same, tried-andtrue routine. He blocks out a two -hour window for a nap, eats an identical meal — pasta and salmon — and spends time reviewing notes he’s made in his journal.
Like many NHL players and coaches, Duchene is a creature of habit. Little pregame rituals and routines help them slip into the proper frame of mind for the next big game.
These familiar patterns can be sleep- or food-related. Or revolve around how they get dressed for a game. Or the way they warm up. Or how they tinker with their hockey sticks. Or be as simple as taking their dog for a walk.
“I have a routine, but I don’t think that means you’re superstitious,” Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson explained. “Lots of guys have routines.”
One frequent requirement — sneaking in a pregame nap. If they can’t sleep, at least they log some chill time.
“I
have a routine, but I don’t think that means you’re superstitious. Lots of guys have routines.”
Erik Johnson
“I nap around the same time, that’s just routine more than ritual. I was a little bit more (superstitious) when I was younger, but with my life the way it is, I’ve kind of had to change my schedule on the fly with a busy household,” said Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who has four kids, including triplets. “I try not to overthink it.”
Following morning home skates, Carolina forward Mark Jankowski typically takes Lucy, his 6-year-old golden retriever, for a stroll.
“Get some sunlight,” said Jankowski, who was acquired by the Hurricanes in March. “Get the legs moving a little bit.”
Then, a pregame meal for Jankowski, followed by slipping on a pair of Normatec boots — compression therapy to enhance circulation. He naps (60-90 minutes) before taking off for the rink.
As part of his pregame rou-
“You have to be able to do something for a long time, so endurance is a huge thing.”
Logano
tion-time exercises of Formula 1 drivers. Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson is a fitness buff who has run the Boston Marathon.
Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano questions why anyone might not consider top-level drivers to be elite athletes.
The fitness challenges are different from basketball or football but still real, he said.
“I run a fair amount, I lift some. We don’t want to be big and bulky inside a race car. But you have to be able to do something for a long time, so endurance is a huge thing,” Logano said.
Race fans are becoming
more aware of the physical demands drivers face behind the wheel, Newgarden said.
“People aren’t as in the dark,” Newgarden said. “Twenty years ago, people might say, ‘I have a car, I drive to the grocery store every day, it can’t be that difficult.’ The physical demand is extremely high. It’s not whoever is the fittest is going to win the race, but it plays a factor. The appreciation is gaining ground.”
One of the most notable challenges for IndyCar drivers, and perhaps most unknown element of the series for the casual fan, is that Indy cars do not have power steering, something most people take for granted.
Newgarden and other drivers train to handle the strain on their shoulders, neck and grip needed to muscle a 1,700-pound car through a race, whether navigating a street course like St. Petersburg, Florida, or ripping around the high-speed oval at the Indianapolis 500.
tine, Tomas Hertl cranks up the tunes. These days, his playlist is heavy Czech music because it’s been setting the proper goal-scoring mood.
“I’m the kind of guy who can listen to everything,” Hertl said. “I like just the songs I kind of know I can sing along. I have a terrible voice, I can’t sing, but this I do by myself.”
Other ways that players loosen up for a game: Gustavsson, like many, kicks around a soccer ball, while Vegas defenseman Noah Hanifin takes a cold plunge. Hanifin’s teammate Brayden McNabb chomps on gum (peppermint) in warmups. Players spend all sorts of time making sure their equipment is as prepared as them. Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin spray-paints the bottom of his sticks to add a little extra weight. Stars forward Mason Marchment makes
sure his stick is stiff and newly taped.
Duchene slightly tweaks his routine depending on if it’s a road or home game. On the road, he includes rice with his pasta and salmon. At home, it’s salad. He also naps in a hyperbaric chamber before home games.
“As a younger player, I was extremely superstitious, and I hated it,” said Duchene, who writes the title of a song — “Jim Bob” by Hardy — on his stick. “I did everything to the minute before a game. I was almost obsessive about it. I got away from it a few years back.
“My biggest thing is you do what you do to get prepared, and then you just throw the gear on and go play,” he added. “That’s the most pure form of playing hockey. That’s how you do it your whole life. You don’t need to do ‘A-through-Z’ to get ready.”
KARL DEBLAKER / AP PHOTO
Carolina Hurricanes’ Mark Jankowski (77), who likely walked his golden retriever earlier in the day, fights for the puck with Montreal Canadiens’ Jake Evans during a March game.
ERIC GAY / AP PHOTO
Two-time IndyCar series champion Josef Newgarden does box jumps as part of his physical workout, a cross-fit session designed to fine-tune the entire body for strength and endurance in racing.
Joey
this week in history
Nazis surrender, Bob Marley dies, Jamestown established, Donner Party heads west
MAY 8
1541: Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River, the first recorded European to do so.
1846: U.S. forces led by Gen. Zachary Taylor defeated Mexican forces near modern-day Brownsville, Texas, in the first major battle of the Mexican American War.
1945: President Harry S. Truman announced in a radio address that Nazi Germany’s forces had surrendered, stating that “the flags of freedom fly all over Europe” on V-E (Victory in Europe) Day.
MAY 9
1754: The famous political cartoon “Join or Die” was first published by Benjamin Franklin in the Pennsylvania Gazette newspaper.
1914: President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
1960: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration conditionally approved Enovid for use as the first oral contraceptive pill.
MAY 10
1775: Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, along with Col. Benedict Arnold, captured the British-held fortress at Ticonderoga, New York.
1865: Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured by Union forces near Irwinville, Georgia.
1869: A golden spike was driven in Promontory, Utah, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.
1924: J. Edgar Hoover was named acting director of the Bureau of Investigation (later known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI).
1994: Nelson Mandela was inaugurated, becoming the first black president of South Africa.
MAY 11
1935: The Rural Electrification Administration was created as one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs.
1946: The first CARE packages, sent by a consortium of American charities to provide relief to the hungry of postwar Europe, arrived at Le Havre, France.
1960: Israeli agents captured Nazi war criminal Ad-
Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old kidnapped son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, was found in a wooded area near Hopewell, New Jersey.
MAY 13
1846: The United States Congress formally declared war against Mexico.
1940: In his first speech to the House of Commons as British prime minister, Winston Churchill said, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”
1981: Pope John Paul II was shot and seriously wounded in St. Peter’s Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet Ali Ağca.
olf Eichmann in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1981: Reggae artist Bob Marley died in a Miami hospital at age 36 of melanoma.
MAY 12
1780: The besieged city of Charleston, South Carolina, surrendered to British forces in one of the worst American defeats of the Revolutionary War.
1846: The pioneers of the Donner Party left Independence, Missouri on the Oregon Trail, beginning their ill-fated attempt to migrate to California.
1932: The body of Charles
MAY 14
1607: Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America, was established by members of the Virginia Company.
1804: The Lewis and Clark expedition, organized to explore the Louisiana Territory as well as the Pacific Northwest, began its journey near present-day Hartford, Illinois.
1955: Representatives from eight Communist bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, signed the Warsaw Pact in Poland. (The pact was dissolved in 1991.)
R.E.M. rereleases single to benefit news service
Winston-Salem native Mitch Easter produced the original recording of “Radio Free Europe”
By David Bauder
The Associated Press
THE ROCK BAND R.E.M.
has put out a special rerelease of its first single, “Radio Free Europe,” to benefit — wait for it — the actual Radio Free Europe.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is among the U.S. government-funded media services that deliver news in overseas markets. President Donald Trump’s administration, claiming they are wasteful and promote a liberal point of view, is trying to choke off their funding.
A federal judge this week ordered the Republican administration to restore $12 million to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that was appropriated by Congress. Lawyers for the service, which has been operating for 75 years, said it would be forced to shut down in June without the money.
In the first line of its song “Radio Free Europe,” R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe sings: “Decide yourself if radio’s gonna stay.”
“Whether it’s music or a free press — censorship anywhere is a threat to the truth everywhere,” Stipe said on Friday. “On World Press Freedom Day, I’m sending a shout-out to the brave journal-
ists at Radio Free Europe.”
RFE/RL’s president, Stephen Capus, said R.E.M.’s music has always represented a celebration of freedom to him. He said inspiring and upholding freedom to audiences that might not always experience it is the goal of his organization’s journalists.
Released on a tiny independent label, the “Radio Free Europe” single was the first the world had heard from the Athens, Georgia-based band, whose career eventually took it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band called it quits in 2011.
The song was later inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry for setting the pattern for independent rock releases at the time.
The five-song EP includes the original recording of the song and a remix made this year by the band’s collaborator Jacknife Lee. It also contains three other songs made at the same time: the single’s B-side, “Sitting Still,” the instrumental “Wh. Tornado,” and a previously unreleased “Radio Free Dub” remix.
The producer of the original recording session, Mitch Easter, is supervising this year’s rerelease. It’s available for streaming, and a special vinyl pressing can be bought at independent record stores and R.E.M.’s mail order store. Proceeds from all vinyl sales go to RFE/ RL.
solutions
AP PHOTO/JACQUES LANGEVIN
Legendary reggae singer Bob Marley, pictured performing in 1980, died May 11, 1981, at age 36.
BEBETO MATTHEWS / AP PHOTO
Michael Stipe of the band R.E.M., center, speaks during the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards in New York. Standing by are fellow band members, from left, Mike Mills, Peter Buck and Bill Berry.
*Must set up Auto Draft for 2nd Month. Offer valid through February 1st 2024.
famous birthdays this week
MAY 8
SINGER TONI Tennille is 85. Country singer Jack Blanchard is 83. Jazz pianist Keith Jarrett is 80. Drummer Chris Frantz of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club is 74. Drummer Alex Van Halen of Van Halen is 72. Singer Enrique Iglesias is 50. Singer Joe Bonamassa is 48.
MAY 9
Producer-director James L. Brooks is 88. Guitarist Sonny Curtis of Buddy Holly and The Crickets is 88. Singer Tommy Roe is 83. Singer-guitarist Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield, Poco) is 81. Actor Candice Bergen is 79. Musician Billy Joel is 76.
MAY 10
Singer Donovan is 79. Singer Dave Mason is 79. Sports anchor Chris Berman is 70. Singer Bono of U2 is 65. Actor Kenan Thompson (“Saturday Night Live,” ″Kenan and Kel”) is 47.
MAY 11
Actor Frances Fisher (“Resurrection,” “Titanic”) is 73. Former MTV VJ Martha Quinn is 66. Actor Tim Blake Nelson (“Lincoln,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”) is 61.
MAY 12
Bono,
Singer Jayotis Washington of The Persuasions is 84. Singer Steve Winwood is 77. Singer Billy Squier is 75. Actor Gabriel Byrne is 75. Actor Ving Rhames is 66. Actor Emilio Estevez is 63.
MAY 13
Actor Harvey Keitel is 86. Musician Stevie Wonder is 75. Singer Darius Rucker (Hootie and the Blowfish) is 59. Actor Robert Pattinson is 39.
MAY 14
Movie director-producer George Lucas is 81. Actor Meg Foster (“Cagney and Lacey”) is 78. Director Robert Zemeckis (“Forrest Gump,” “Back to the Future”) is 74. Actor Cate Blanchett is 56.
RICHARD DREW / AP PHOTO
Musical icon Stevie Wonder, pictured performing at a celebration of Roberta Flack’s life in 2025, celebrates his 75th birthday on Tuesday.
JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO
Actor Candice Bergen, pictured at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2024, turns 78 on Friday.
AARON FAVILA / AP PHOTO
the lead singer of U2, turns 65 on Saturday.